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~Only in my Dreams~
by Eve Byron
A guest review by Danielle Hill
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Heroine:
tall,
voluptuous |
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Lorelei,
Baroness Winters, has made an art of making sure that others’ hurtful
words cannot penetrate the cheerfully flamboyant, careless shell she
has constructed around herself. All her life she has dealt with cutting
remarks about her large size to the point that she makes a joke of it
before anyone else can. She had made herself indispensable to the
members of the ton as confidant to women and boon companion to the men
although she hears every spiteful word that they say about her behind
her back.
But the time has come for her to marry, even if it isn’t for
love. She has settled on a lord who’s much more interested in hunting
and his horses so there is no chance of him breaking her heart. Enter
the American Adrian Rutland, newly appointed Viscount Dane, who is in
need of an English bride so that his family can gain the
respectability that it lacks. He takes one look at the tall,
voluptuous Baroness and knows that she is meant to be his Viscountess.
He simply has to convince the vulnerable Lorelei of that fact.
Lorelei is literally swept off her feet by the brash, intelligent and
undeniably attractive American, although deep down she doubts that he
could ever be captivated by her. So she is shocked when he
comes up to scratch with an offer for her. Lorelei is now faced
with a dilemma. Should she marry for convenience, or for love--even
with the risk of heartbreak that it entails?
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What worked for me: |
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This book was a pleasure to read from the first sentence. As a woman who has always been tall and curvy, I could totally identify with Lorelei. She’s a wonderful character who has learned to make the most of herself and has had to deal with the loneliness and isolation inherent in her position. Byron makes her vulnerabilities heartbreakingly apparent to the reader despite her formidable strength of character. I love it that there is a man who is made for her in Adrian. He takes one look at her and he sees the most beautiful woman in the world and decides that he’s going to have her. He never strays in his devotion, despite the fact that there are times when Lorelei’s insecurities must be very frustrating. This book is a love story in the truest sense. The
main characters' feelings are rich even at the beginning, and they only deepen as the book progresses.
Size-wise Adrian’s first view of
Lorelei inspires these thoughts: “She had to be over six feet tall, and her figure…She was a veritable hourglass of feminine curves, though on an ample scale, with full breasts and wide hips separated by a thicker-than-acceptable curve of waist…In his eyes, she was beauty and grace. A real woman, rather than merely female.”
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What didn't work for me: |
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Nothing
was a problem for me in this novel. I found it beautiful in its simplicity. There are other elements, but the crux of the book never strays for the wonderful love story that Eve Bryon tells.
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Overall: |
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Only in My Dreams is a wonderful book that almost brought tears to my
eyes. The love story about two souls who were made for each other and
find completion in each other is pure and touching.
Warning: The sensuality is subtle but stirring. There was nothing in this book that would offend except that Lorelei’s contemporaries take her for granted and make rude comments about her weight and height. It made me angry on her behalf.
If you liked "Only in my Dreams" you might also enjoy "Somebody to Love", "Highland Ecstasy", "Slightly Wicked", "Miss Carlyle's Curricle", "Into
Temptation", "Suddenly
You",
"The Accidental
Bride", "The Bride
and the Beast", "The
Fire-Flower", "The Last Days
of a Rake",
"Cat and the Countess",
"The Courtship", or
"Enchanting Pleasures". |
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Have you read
this book and have a comment to
make on it? Join a discussion about the book at the Dangerous Curves
forum
or submit a review
to this website. |
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